Electric level and plumb instrument



July 19, 194%. F. G. NAGODA 2 7 I ELECTRIC LEVEL AND PLUMB INSTRUMENT I Filed Sept. 22, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l llllllllllllllllllljrllll 'IIIIIIIII)? ATTD R N EYS F. G. NAGODA ELECTRIC LEVEL AND PLUMB INSTRUMENT July 19, 1949.

. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1947 5 Y M m M w W M m w ,H. m. .ZEEEzEEi-mK I o 2 s mu MN w mm m mu Q m *m. NR R W wN w Wm mw @N 6 MN kw Q E 2 M Patented July 19, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC LEVEL. AND PLUMB INSTRUMENT Frank G. Nagoda, Export, Pas. ass gn r n Mary Nagod'a, Export, Ba.

A plication, September 22, 1947*, Serial No. 775,392 3 Claims. (Cl. 33== 2l5l provide an electric level and plumb which has a sensitive contact making device and which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble and efficient in operation.

For a better understanding of the invention,

reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top pl n view of the level;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the level;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken through the contact making device and on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken through the level and plumb and on line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view :of the contact making device such as used both for indicating a level and at one end for indicating the vertical plumb;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary and trans verse cross-sectoinal view taken through the contact making device and on line -6- 6 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the figures, Ill represents the external casing of the level and plumb and which comprises end plates or covers I I having projections I2 through which are extended screws l3 to fix the covers to ends of hollow member M of square section. Within the hollow member l4 and intermediate its length, there is arranged a contact making level device l5 to which is connected a lamp I6 adapted to make indication through a window I! when contact points l8 and I9 are brought together. In one end of the member I4 is a battery 2| which is pressed against an inwardly extending shoulder 22 within the member I4 by one or more springs 23, which may be a coil spring, as shown, or any other form of spring that will accomplish the purpose for which it is designed. This battery has terminals 24 and 25 which are connected by wires 25 to a binding post 21 and 28 upon a plate 29 fixed to the inner wall face of the member [4. A wire 3| extends from the binding post 28 to a terminal plate 32 of the level device [5. Another wire 33 connects with a button switch 34 from which leads wire 35 for connection with lamp base 36 at 31. A wire 38 leads from a terminal 39 on the lamp base 36 2 ta a contact. plate it of the device I5. In the top of the hollow casing member is is an opening 43 over which there is secured by screws 44. oover plate 45'.

The contact. making device t5 comprises a base 4.? to which is fixed by a screw 48., a plate 49 hav inga projection 5t, on, which is pivoted a down wardly turned end 52 of a supporting plate 53., which is normally retained in a raised position by springs 54 and 55, and these springs, as springs 23, may be coil springs, as shown, or any other type of spring that will accomplish the same purpose. To properly set the device l5, a bolt 56 is adjusted to compress or release spring 55. Ex-

tending upwardly from the sides of the plate 53 are side plates 51 and 5B which :are held in spaced relationship by spacer bolts 59 disposed at the top and bottom of the same. Stops 6| are extended across the bottom of plate 53 and bent upwardly to receive the bottom spacer bolts 59.

Between the plates 51 and 58, there are supported on plates BI and 52, pivot shafts 63 and 64 respectively. These pivot shafts have respectively ball sleeves 65, into which there is threaded a shaft 66, to depend downwardly for supporting weights 6! retained on the shaft 56 by a nut 58. The shafts and weights 6'! are free to swing in a pendulum-like manner. Extending from each ball 65, is a contact point H which will engage to close the lamp circuit to indicate that the work is level. In order to retain the weights 51 within limits, there is provided for each depending shaft 56, a ring stop 12, which is extended between and connected to the plates 51 and 58. Accordingly, when the level is placed on the work, an indication will be made by means of the lamp l6 whether the work is level.

In order that the instrument may be used to indicate whether a vertical member is plumb, another unit or device [5 formed of parts as just described, is provided in the end of the casing member I4 opposite from the battery 2 I. A partition 14 is provided for supporting the unit [5. This unit can be adjusted by its adjusting screw 56 to be properly set to give a plumb indication. A lamp I1 is mounted on a base 18 and is connected by wires with the device 15, a switch 19 and, through binding posts 21 and 28, to terminals 24 and 25 of batter} 2|.

The instrument may be designed to operate with the use of A. C. or D. C. current, and when so constructed, will have a transformer substituted for the battery 2|.

The instrument can be used for other purposes than a carpenters level, such as with various 3 types of machines that require the parts fed thereto to be set up level or plumb with the machine.

The instrument is designed to provide or give a correct signal if the object with which it is used is level or plumb, as the case may be. It can also be used for other signal devices.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a level and plumb instrument, an indicating device therein comprising a supporting plate, side plates of insulating material extending from said supporting plate, a pair of parallel pivot shafts, oscillatably mounted in said side plates, pendulums secured to said shafts, respectively; opposed projection means attached to said. pivot shafts, respectively, and extending laterally from the same whereby each said projection means oscillates with said respective pivot shafts, said projection means adapted to slidably contact each other when substantially in a plane containing said pivot shafts, contact means slidably engaging said pivot shafts, respectively, an indicator, a source of energy, and means electrically connecting said pivot shafts, indicator, source of energy and contact means in series, whereby when said support base is level said projection means will contact each other substantially in the plane of said pivot shafts to complete the electrical circuit through said indicator for actuating the same.

2. The combination of claim 1 and means encircling said pendulums, respectively, for limiting the amplitude of the swing of the same.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein each I said projection means is provided with end pointed portions, respectively.

FRANK G. NAGODA.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

